Blood transfusion apparatus



May 27, 1941. w. B. COOKSEY BLOOD TRANSFUSION APPARATUS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 22, 1937 May 27, 1941. w. B. cooKsEY BLOOD TRANSFUSION APPARATUS Filed July 22, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Zia/622%? duced.

Patented May 27, 1941 UNETED STATES PATENT Claims.

This invention relates to blood transfusion apparatus, as well as to other uses to which the apparatus may be put.

In making blood transfusions, considerable care is necessary in order to prevent blood clot and in order to prevent contamination of the blood. Usually one operator is required to operate a suction device for drawing the blood and another operator is employed in mixing the blood with a clot preventing medium, such as sodium citrate. After the blood has been drawn and mixed with the citrate, it is usually transferred into another container, from which it is dispensed. This procedure not only increases the possibility of contamination of the blood by bringing it in contact with a number of surfaces, but also requires the presence of two or more operators for each transfusion.

An object of the present invention is to provide simple and effective means for enabling a single operator to draw the blood with a. high degree of control into a container which is then to provide apparatus by which the blood can be drawn without the possibility of excessive suction while at the same time directing the flow so that the possibility of blood clot is greatly re- A further object is to provide a simple container unit equipped with suction means in which the blood can be mixed with citrate by the operator while at the same time providing an even continuous suction, the mixing and suction apparatus being manipulated by the operator with one hand. A further object is to provide a container equipped with a removable handle and shield mechanism by means of which the inlet tube is protected against contamination while at the same time enabling the operator to support the container and manipulate the suction bulb with one hand. A further object is to provide removable closure and handle mechanism by means of which the inlet tube is confined always in a predetermined position with respect to the handle and the shield with which the handle is equipped. A further object is to provide a receiving and dispensing container equipped with closure means to which a suction bulbris removably attached and adapted to be replaced by a dispensing tube, the closure also being provided with a shiftably mounted tube which serves both as an inlet guide tube when the blood is being received and as an air inlet tube when the blood is being withdrawn from the container. Other specific objects and advantages will appear as the specification proceeds. V v

,The invention is illustrated, in a preferredembodiment, by the accompanying drawings, in whichl Figure l is a side View in elevation of apparatus embodying my invention; Fig. 2, a top plan view; Fig. 3, a broken sectional view, the section being taken as indicated at line 3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4, a plan view of the closure plug removed from the container; Fig. 5, an enlarged sectional detail view of the valve equipped suction bulb; and Fig. 6, a side view in elevation of the appartus supported in inverted position for serving as a dispensing unit, the bulb having been removed.

In the illustration given, A designates a container; B, a closure member; C, a handle member; and D, a suction bulb.

The container A may be of any suitable type, shape or construction. In the specific illustration given, it consists of a glass jar or bottle provided with a threaded neck Ill. The lower portion of the container is equipped with parallel ribs l I between which is supported a metal band 12 to which is secured a bail 13.

The closure plug B may also be of any suitable construction or material. In the specific illustration, it is formed. of rubber which is compressed by the handle member 0 against the top edge of neck H] so as to form a tight seal with the container. The plug B is provided with two openings, one opening l4 being adapted to receive the lower portion of bulb D or the outlet dispensing tube I5. The other opening H5 is adapted to receive the tube ll through which the blood may be drawn into the bottle when the bottle is in the position shown in Fig. 3 and through which air may pass into the bottle when the container is in the inverted position shown in Fig. 6.

In order to lock the plug in a predetermined position within the handle member C, I preferably provide plug B with a raised oblong portion l8, as shown more clearly in Figs. 3 and 4, the raised portion being received within an opening or similar configuration in the fitting C.

The handle member or fitting C may be of any suitable shape or material. Metal, hard rubber, Bakelite, and many other composition and condensation product materials may be used for this purpose. The member C preferably comprises a cylindrical neck portion I9, which is interiorly threaded to engage the threads of the container neck Iii. The upper portion of cylindrical member i9 is closed except for an elongated slot 20 adapted to receive the oblong raised portion H! of plug B. On its rear side,

there is formed integrally with the cylindrical portion 19 a handle 2| which may be of any suitable shape. In the particular form of handle illustrated, I have shown an opening adapted to receive the first three fingers of the operators hand so that the bulb D may be grasped between the fingers and the thumb and thereby readily manipulated, the handle 2| serving at the same time as a means for supporting the bottle while it is being moved to mix the blood with the citrate.

I also prefer to equip the fitting C with the shield portion 22 which may be formed integrally with the handle, the shield forming a web partially encircling the tube IT. The shield and bulb serve to protect the inlet tube l'l against contamination while the device is being operated so that later when the tube I! is depressed to the position shown in Fig. 6, there is no need to sterilize the tube. Also, the shield 22 serves as a buttress or wall against which the bulb D may be pressed by the fingers and thumb-when the bulb is being operated.

The suction bulb D may be of any suitable construction or material. I prefer to employ a bulb having elastic side walls and equipped with suitable valves whereby when the bulb is manipulated, air is withdrawn from the container to a limited extent. In other Words, I find that the blood flows evenly and uniformly into the container when the reduced pressure or suction is not excessive, but is maintained at a certain moderate degree. Should the suction be increased sharply, there is a tendency for the rubber tubing to collapse causing the blood to flow intermittently, thus increasing the possibility of blood clots. On the other hand, when the suction is maintained at a low degree and is not permitted to exceed a definite minimum,

the resultant flow is much more uniform and satisfactory. By employing a bulb equipped with ball check valves, the bulb being provided with elastic walls, I find that the extent of the reduced pressure or suction is limited by the character of the elastic walls. When the bulb is compressed 2. number of times and a substantial amount of air has been withdrawn from the container, the walls of the bulb remain contracted until the space Within the container is filled to some extent with blood, thus reducing the space to be evacuated. The bulb further enables the operator to obtain a very nice blood flow, it being necessary only to compress the bulb at occasional intervals, the walls of the bulb then slowly expanding, serving to maintain the desired low pressure within the container at a uniform degree between the periods of compression.

In the specific bulb apparatus D disclosed, the walls 23 of the bulb are formed of an elastic material, such as rubber, and in each of the ends is secured a fitting housing a ball valve. In the upper or outlet fitting 24, the tapered walls 25 of the fitting cooperate with the round ball 26 to form a tight seal when the walls of the bulb 23 are expanding to create suction. At the same time, the ball rolls freely to its outer position where air can escape when the bulb is compressed. The fitting is provided with fingers 21 at its outer side to prevent the escape of the ball. The lower fitting 28 is substantially identical with the fitting 24 except that the position of the ball with respect to the inclined walls is reversed so as to close the valve when the bulb is compressed and to open the valve when the walls of the bulb expand to create suction. The tapered walls in this fitting also provide a tight closure. The fitting 28 is provided at its lower end with an extension 29 adapted to engage the opening 14 of the plug B.

In suction valves heretofore employed in which a relatively wide passage was employed within which was a reduced tapered valve seat, I have found that effective sealing is not obtained, the air tending to leak readily past the valve. In the seat of the fitting 24 herein illustrated, the entire passage is tapered, the angle of the passage being approximately 10. If the angle is increased greater than 10, I find that a poor seal is effected, while if the angle is less than 10, the ball tends to stick in the tube. When the passage or valve seat is at the angle of approximately 10, as illustrated, an effective seal is maintained by means of which the bulb is required to be operated rather infrequently in order to maintain a continuous uniform suction. The lower valve 28 is of the usual construction.

With a bulb constructed as. above described, I find that a reduced pressure of from 1 to 1.5 pounds per square inch is obtained, this reduced pressure serving to maintain a uniform and even flow of blood to the container. It will be understood that the pressure may, however, be varied outside of these limits.

In the operation of the device, the operator attaches to the upper portion of tube I! which is raised above plug B, the inlet tube H to which is attached a needle of Well known construction. The, needle is allowed to drop into an ampule of sterile 2.5 per cent sodium cirtate, or other suit- .able solution, and the rubber bulb is compressed a few times in order to draw 10 c. c. of the citrate into the container, this amount being satisfactory for use with every c. c. of blood to be used. For taking the blood from the donor, a tourniquet or a sphygmomanometer cuff is used on the donor's arm with pressure set at the diastolic level. The needle is inserted into the donors vein, and while one hand steadies the needle, the other hand is employed to support the container A, moving it with a general rotary motion to mix the citrate and blood and at the same time giving the rubber bulb an occasional compression to maintain the necessary reduced pressure. In this operation, the handle shield prevents contamination of the glass tubing I! which is inthe up position while drawing blood so that the inflow may be. observed at all times. The tube ll, which is well above the level of the blood within the container, directs the blood away from .the side walls and into the body of the blood and citrate, thus preventing the formation of blood clots on the side wall of the container. When sufficient blood has been obtained, the rubber bulb is withdrawn from the core member B and the glass tubing l'l pushed down to the position shown in Fig. 6 in which it serves as an air vent. The usual intravenous tubing set is then connected to'the opening l4, from which the bulb D has been taken. In view of the well known character of the intravenous tubing set, it is not illustrated herein except as to the upper portion 15 thereof. The bail 13 of the container is then supported by the hook F carried by the supporting stand (not shown), and the blood is drawn off through Hi. In this inverted position, the tube [1, which has been pressed downward so that-the mits air to pass upwardly to the bottom of the container to replace the space left by the blood withdrawn, thus permitting an even flow from the container.

Should only a portion of the blood be used at one time, the remainder may be kept safely in the same container by placing it in the ice box and then employed the next day after warming to the desired temperature.

While in the foregoing description, I have set forth by way of illustration a certain specific container and apparatus, it will be understood that these may be varied widely while still employing the spirit of my invention. The foregoing detailed description has been given for clearness of understanding only, and no unnecessary limitation should be understood therefrom, but the appended claims should be construed as broadly as permissible, in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. In blood transfusion apparatus, a container having an opening, a closure for the opening, said closure having two passages therethrough, a tube extending through one passage and having a portion extending above the closure and adapted to engage an inlet tube, and a limited-suction manually-operated device connected to the other of said passages, said container being adapted to be supported in inverted position and in which position said first-mentioned tube is adapted to be pressed into the interior of said container whereby it can serve as an air inlet tube.

2. In blood transfusion apparatus, a container having an opening, a closure for the opening, said closure being provided with two passages, means for connecting a needle-equipped inlet tube with one of said passages, a handle member removably secured to said container and having a wall portion extending above said closure and a suction bulb secured to said closure member and connected to the other of said passages, said bulb lying adjacent said wall portion and being adapted to be manipulated by compressing it against said wall portion of said handle.

3. In blood transfusion apparatus, a container having an opening, a closure for the opening, said closure being provided with two pasasges, a handle member secured to said container and engaging said closure, said handle member being provided with a shield portion extending along one side of said closure member, a suction bulb secured to one of said passages through the closure, and an inlet tube extending through the other of said passages and lying between said shield member and said bulb.

4. In blood transfusion apparatus, a container having an opening, a closure for the opening, said closure being provided with two passages, a tube extending through one passage, a suction bulb connected to the other passage, and a handle fitting secured to said container and equipped with a shield with which said tube and suction bulb are. maintained in alignment so that the tube lies between said bulb and said shield, said closure member being provided with an integral extension received within an. opening in said handle fitting whereby said fitting and closure member are maintained in a predetermined alignment. V

5. In blood transfusion apparatus, a combination with a container having an opening, a closure for the opening, the closure being provided with two passages, a tube shiftably mounted in one of said passages and adapted to be raised to serve as an inlet guide tube for directing blood into the body of liquid in the container and adapted to be depressed to serve as an air inlet tube when the container is inverted, and a resilient suction-bulb equipped with valves for permitting partial exhaustion of air from the container when the bulb is manipulated, said bulb being provided with a fitting permitting it to be removably connected to the other of said passages.

WARREN B. COOKSEY.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION,

i i 2,2 5,521. 5 M 2?, 9 :1.

WARREN B. ICOOKSEL,

It is hereby crt ifie d that e'rrgr apizears the pff Lr-it ed specification of the sbbvenumbered patent requiring cor rectiori as foii ows g P ag e. 1,,firsp I Columfi, iline aftfir "theri" insrt -used as th', diispiens:Lng'unit. Aj ur ther object is-; and that the said Letters Patent .sho uldlb'r e ad with 'this correctidn therein that-the same may ponfpm lfo the record of the case? inthe Patent Office. z v v I I I si ned and sealedthis th day of ugust; A. D 19in.

i-Hnr van Arsdale, (Seal) I I I Acting Commissioner of Patents.' 

